Matthew 26

¹When Jesus had finished all these words, he said to his disciples: ²"You know that in two days the Passover takes place, and the Son of Man is being handed over to be crucified."

³Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of the high priest, the one called Caiaphas, ⁴and they conspired to seize Jesus by deception and kill him. ⁵But they were saying, "Not during the festival, so that there will not be an uproar among the people."

⁶Now while Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfumed oil and poured it over his head as he reclined at table. ⁸When the disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? ⁹For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor." ¹⁰But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you causing trouble for this woman? She has done a beautiful deed for me. ¹¹For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. ¹²By pouring this perfumed oil on my body, she has prepared me for burial. ¹³Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be spoken of as a memorial to her."

¹⁴Then one of the twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵and said, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" And they set out for him thirty silver pieces. ¹⁶From that time he was looking for an opportunity to hand him over.

¹⁷On the first day of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus saying, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?" ¹⁸He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am keeping the Passover at your house with my disciples.'" ¹⁹And the disciples did as Jesus directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

²⁰When evening came, he was reclining at table with the twelve. ²¹And while they were eating, he said, "Truly I tell you that one of you will hand me over." ²²And being deeply grieved, they began to say to him, one after another, "Surely not I, Lord?" ²³He answered, "The one who dipped his hand in the bowl with me—this one will hand me over. ²⁴The Son of Man goes away just as it is written about him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is handed over. It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." ²⁵Then Judas, the one handing him over, answered and said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said it."

²⁶While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it, broke it and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." ²⁷And taking a cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, ²⁸for this is my blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹I tell you, I will certainly not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father."

³⁰And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ³¹Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will fall away because of me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' ³²But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee." ³³Peter answered him, "Even if all fall away because of you, I will never fall away." ³⁴Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you that this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." ³⁵Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will certainly not deny you." And all the disciples said the same.

³⁶Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go over there to pray." ³⁷And taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be grieved and deeply distressed. ³⁸Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." ³⁹And going forward a little, he fell on his face, praying and saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

⁴⁰And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? ⁴¹Keep watch and pray so that you do not enter into testing. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." ⁴²Again, going away a second time, he prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, let your will be done." ⁴³And coming back again, he found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴And leaving them, he went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same words once more.

⁴⁵Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look—the hour has drawn near, and the Son of Man is being handed over into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶Get up, let us go. Look—the one handing me over has drawn near."

⁴⁷And while he was still speaking, suddenly Judas, one of the twelve, arrived, and with him a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸Now the one handing him over had given them a sign, saying, "The one I kiss—he is the one. Seize him." ⁴⁹And immediately coming to Jesus, he said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him warmly. ⁵⁰Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you came for." Then they came forward, laid hands on Jesus, and seized him.

⁵¹And suddenly one of those with Jesus stretched out his hand, drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. ⁵²Then Jesus said to him, "Return your sword to its place, for all who take up the sword will perish by the sword. ⁵³Or do you think that I cannot call upon my Father, and he will at once provide me with more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?"

⁵⁵At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a rebel? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. ⁵⁶But all this has happened so that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples abandoned him and fled.

⁵⁷Those who had seized Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. ⁵⁸Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside, he sat with the attendants to see the outcome.

⁵⁹Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, ⁶⁰but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward ⁶¹and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the sanctuary of God and rebuild it in three days.'" ⁶²And the high priest stood up and said to him, "Have you no answer? What is it that these men are testifying against you?" ⁶³But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, "I put you under oath by the living God: tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." ⁶⁴Jesus said to him, "You have said it. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."

⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his robes, saying, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look—now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶What is your verdict?" They answered, "He deserves death."

⁶⁷Then they spat in his face and struck him with their fists, and some slapped him, ⁶⁸saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who hit you?"

⁶⁹Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus the Galilean." ⁷⁰But he denied it before all of them, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about." ⁷¹When he went out to the gateway, another servant girl saw him and said to those there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene." ⁷²And again he denied it with an oath: "I do not know the man." ⁷³After a little while, those standing nearby came up and said to Peter, "Surely you are also one of them, for your speech gives you away." ⁷⁴Then he began to invoke curses on himself and to swear, "I do not know the man!" And immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵And Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." And going outside, he wept bitterly.